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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

The Birthday Mystery Reviewed

Cooking For A Birthday Can Be Deadly

Mystery at a birthday party

Last night, I finished reading The Birthday Mystery by Faith Martin. I would like to offer my review to you this morning.

This book is the first in a newer series by the author known for her DI Hillary Greene series that spans back some thirty years or so. Ms. Martin does not disappoint with her new concept for a good old fashioned whodunit.

Our sleuth in The Birthday Mystery is Jenny Starling. Jenny travels around the British countryside cooking for different clients. She has been hired to cook the dinner and birthday cakes for a party being given for Justin and Alicia, an upper-class set of twins who will turn 21 in a few days. As she arrives at the home of the twin's parents, something is already amiss. A body has been found in the pond on the residence. Jenny really does not want to get involved and plans to start preparing the plans for the meal and cakes.

As reluctant as she is, Jenny can't help but overhear conversations that make her curious as to what is really going on in this home. The resident staff do not take well to her being there and give her a hard time whenever they can. She feels there is something off with the family dynamics but can't quite put her finger on it. Justin the birthday boy is a bit pompous and yet she can't help but like him in an odd sort of way. Alicia is beautiful but spoiled and demanding.

I found this to be a fun reading experience with plenty of twists to the plot. The concept of a traveling cook was interesting and Jenny's sleuthing skills were impressive. The characters were well thought out and the mystery flowed along nicely. It reminded me a bit of the style of Agatha Christie and her Miss Marple which was enjoyable.

I highly recommend The Birthday Mystery to those of you who enjoy a good old fashioned murder mystery that is not predictable at to "whodunit". To find out who dies at the birthday celebration and more importantly who caused the death, you will have to read the book. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Monday, May 27, 2019

Kanopy Review: The Free Streaming Service

Free! Yes. Free. Kanopy is the free streaming service you may be unaware exists and unaware you can be a member with your library card! Movies on demand with the click of a mouse at no charge to you. No contracts or subscriptions are required.

What Is Kanopy?

Be Entertained. Be Enriched. is the tagline of Kanopy.

Kanopy is a movie lovers' dream! Particularly if you are a fan of documentaries, Indie Films and non fiction entertainment then you will not be disappointed. It is akin to being transported to your local library, but through the ease of your computer.

Who can Access Kanopy?

Kanopy is free to members of participating public libraries and universities. Check the digital services section of your library website or university; chances are Kanopy is available.

How Does Kanopy Work?

The Kanopy membership is linked to your library card account number. Create an account on Kanopy and the activation of the account is triggered when the library card number is entered and then automatically verified. An account can be created, verified and activated in less than five minutes.

A member receives 10 credits per month and one movie equals one credit. The checkout process is one familiar to library card holders when checking out a DVD or CD. The movie must be viewed within 3 days of checkout except with canopy the checkout is online access to the movie.

How Do I View The Movie?

Very easily! Kanopy is available on the majority of platforms including: Apple OS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku, Fire stick, Fire tablet and desktop.Simply download the app or access Kanopy in the menu section of Roku or Fire TV.

My first two "checkouts" were the documentaries "Above The Fold" a profile of legendary journalist Robert Scheer and "Celebration of the 89th Anniversary of The Martha Graham Dance Company."

What Does Kanopy Offer?

The major categories of Kanopy are:

Movies
Documentaries
The Arts
Business
Health
Education
Media & Communication
Global Studies
Sciences
Social Sciences
Instructional Films & Lessons

The title selection is huge with over 30,000 titles including the Criterion Collection which features classic cinema at its' best.

Kanopy Kids

Looking for the littles? Kanopy has a collection curated specifically for children at Kanopy For Kids. One of the main differences between the content on Kanopy For Kids and Kanopy is a parental control dashboard and unlimited viewing (because we know the littles love to watch and rewatch and rewatch their favorites!)

Again the variety of content is impressive with organized categories easily navigated:

Movies
Story Time
TV Series
Funny Stuff
Adventure
Quick Flicks
Explore Science & Math
Learning Languages
Animals
Tales From History ... to name a few.

Is Kanopy Really Free?

Kanopy is free with free* receiving an asterisk. The library or university pays a fee to Kanopy for access to the service. Just as your library card is "free" to obtain, but ultimately paid for by your municipality. Check with your local library or the library website to find out if Kanopy is available. Students and educators at .edu can also access Kanopy with their library card.

Cutting The Cable Cord?

Kanopy is an alternative to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime. As I am currently in the process of cutting the cord with cable television I am thrilled to find Kanopy and even more ecstatic with the easy access to Indie films, documentaries and classic cinema which are genres I already favor.

More on my journey to cutting the cord ... it is a work in progress!

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Sunday, May 26, 2019

Father's Day Gifts Reviewed on Review This Reviews

Treasures from the Archives of Review This Reviews!

Warm weather beckons us to enjoy our favorite outdoor activities which makes June the perfect month to celebrate Father's Day. When I think of baseball, camping, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, four-wheelin, motorcycles, bicycles, or even washing cars, I think of my dad. As a child and young adult, all of those summer activities included my father. In fact, as an adult with adult children of my own, my dad is still a part of all of those family activities and more.

The Review This Reviews contributors recognize that not all fathers are the same or enjoy the same activities listed above. Some dads prefer video games, radio controlled devices, woodworking, or other hobbies. Many play golf like my father-in-law. One thing every man I know enjoys, is eating! Some may enjoy cooking as well, but they all love food.

Because we have over a dozen contributors on Review This Reviews, we have dozens of hobbies, entertainment, and activities that our own fathers, husbands, brothers or sons enjoy to use as a reference for reviews of excellent gifts for men.

So many wonderful memories in our lives include our fathers. Let's be sure to remember our dads on Father's Day with a phone call, visit, a card, perhaps dinner, and even a specially selected gift. Either of those things would be considered a "gift" to your dad because it will be you taking time to express your appreciation and love.

A Review This Reviews Pinterest Board - Father's Day Gifts Reviewed

There are dozens of Father's Day Gifts Reviewed

by our Contributors!

The board below features the 30 most recent reviews.

Click through to Pinterest to see all of the
Gifts for Father's
that have been reviewed by Review This Reviews Contributors!

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Saturday, May 25, 2019

Boys Minecraft 3-piece Pajama Set Review

April brought my grandson David's 10th birthday. While pondering what to get him for a gift, I remembered that he is a fan of Minecraft.

Shopping for his birthday gift, and not knowing what Minecraft items he already has (since we live 6 hours apart), I spotted this set of pajamas with the Minecraft design. Perfect! Growing kids can always use pajamas and other articles of clothing.

Minecraft Pajama Set

Image of Boys Minecraft 3-piece Pajama Set

Minecraft Pajamas for Kids at Target

The set I purchased at Target is a 3-piece set consisting of a graphic sleeping tee with the Minecraft design, sleeping shorts for warm weather and sleeping pants for cool nights. The pajamas are made from 100% cotton and both bottoms have a full elastic waistband.

The set comes in gray and green with a short-sleeve top. The top has a big graphic of Minecraft and the long pants have Minecraft designs all over it. The short pants are green and the top and long pants are gray.

What is Minecraft?

Source: Pixabay

Minecraft is a video game about placing blocks and going on adventures. It's an open-ended game that allows players to decide what they want to do by themselves. Or they can play with other players online.

There are two modes. The creative mode gives players limitless resources they can use to build whatever they can imagine. The Survival Mode lets the players explore the world and mine its resources to feed, house and defend themselves.

There is no one way to play Minecraft. It is a game that lets the players use their imaginations. It pleases me as a grandmother to know this is a game that encourages a child's imagination. In addition to the games, Minecraft also now includes groups of toys, books, clothing, and other related products.

The Birthday Boy

David adores Minecraft as he is a very imaginative and creative child. Therefore, he was delighted with his Minecraft design pajamas 'grandma' gave him for his tenth birthday.

*Note: Turned out that David's mom was even more delighted with my gift choice as, unknown to me, new pajamas for him were very much needed. (That 'growing kid' thing :>)

Now David can think about his Minecraft toys while he's drifting off to sleep in his Minecraft pajamas.

Boy in Minecraft pajamas and Minecraft symbols

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Friday, May 24, 2019

Mailbox Ball Flag Automatic Visual Mail Signal Reviewed

How to know when your mail has arrived! When the ball is up, you've got mail.

I love our mailbox ball that lets me know at a glance whether our mail has arrived or not. Our postman comes at different times each day. Before we installed the mailbox ball signal, I had no way of knowing when there was mail in the box. I always hated walking to the mailbox just to find it empty. That meant a second trip to the mailbox would be required and no guarantee the mail would be there then either. It was especially annoying if I was watching for a particular delivery. I would end up walking to the box several times in one day to check the mail.

The Mailbox Ball Signal is a very simple, yet ingenious, design. As the mailbox door is opened, it hits the ball and the ball pops up. After I retrieve the mail for the day, I place the ball back down into it's holder slot.

We have had the mailbox ball for many years now and I don't believe I have ever had a false signal, therefore, based on our experience, wind or weather will not make it flip up. Only the mailbox door opening will actually displace the ball from the holder.

Mailbox Ball Mail Signal Installation and Information

Installing the mailbox ball is easy. You simply bolt it onto the existing mailbox door handle, using the hardware included in the package.

You can also see in the image on the right how the ball is set into the holding slot.

The ball is a bright yellow and is easily visible from our front windows. Now, I can comfortably check whether the mail has arrived from inside my home. No more wasted trips to the mailbox.

One Important Note: You do need a standard mailbox that has the dual latches, one on the top of the mailbox and one on the door. You can easily see the latch on the mailbox in the color image above.